Arnaldo Silva

By Josh Lanier From Daily Voice

A North Branford man has been sentenced to 17 months behind bars after he admitted to repeatedly stabbing his daughters' dog to death inside their home, authorities said. 

Arnaldo Silva, 53, was sentenced to five years in prison, with all but 17 months suspended, followed by three years of probation, the State's Division of Criminal Justice said. He pleaded guilty in April to cruelty to animals, falsely reporting an incident, and violating conditions of release.

North Branford police were called to Silva’s home on Nov. 13, 2023, for reports of domestic abuse. When officers arrived, they found Silva in his bedroom “intoxicated … with a broken nose and covered in blood,” according to his arrest warrant.

Inside the home, police discovered a bloody kitchen knife and the lifeless body of Diesel, a 2-year-old bulldog belonging to Silva’s daughter, Gabriella Silva. The dog had suffered multiple stab wounds, confirmed through a necropsy, police said. 

According to court records, Gabriella told police she received a voicemail from her father around 10:45 p.m. saying Diesel was dead. 

Despite Silva initially telling police he had nothing to do with the death, investigators said evidence at the scene linked him to the crime.